Traction-wheel



(No Model.)

H. C. REAGAN.

y TRAGTION WHEEL. No. 339,012. Patented Mer. 30, 1886.

.I Im/enwrw Q6 Wma-H7 N. PETERS. Phmwmhqgrzpher. washington, D4 C.

i Unirse raras HENRY C. REAGAN, OF

Partnr erica.

sALIsBna-r, Missouri.

TRACTlON-WHEEL.

SPECIFCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 339,012, dated 30, 1886.

Application filed F.bruary 4, 1586.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY C. REAGAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Salisbury, in the county of Chariton and State of Missouri,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Traction \Vheels,of which the following is a specification.

Diiiiculty is experienced in the employment of traction-engines uponordinary roads, from the fact that the road bed or surface becomes attimes so soft and muddy that spurless wheels will slip without effectinga forward movement of the engine, and at other times the road is hardand rough, and is best adapted to Wheels without spurs or projectionsupon their rims, for the reason that the spurs block the rotation of'the wheels, and are liable to be broken off when brought forcibly incontact with hard, rough, and uneven surfaces.

My invention relates to means under control of the attendant foroperating the spurs or spur-arms of traction-wheels to force them ontfrom the rim of the wheel when the tractionenginc is moving on soft ormuddy road, and for retracting them within said wheelrim when the enginetravels upon hard and solid road-bed, as will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying` drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of myimproved tractionwheel and part of the frame, showing the spursretracted by full lines, and by dotted lines the spurs and theiroperating devices in the positions occupied when said spurs areprojected from the rim of the wheel; Fig. 2, a plan of the same, showingthe hand-lever, wheel hub and rim, and the cam-track disk in section,and showing the sp urs projecting from the rim of the wheel; Fig. 8, anelevation of the inner face of the cam-trackl disk and hand'lever, Withfragments of the spur-arms shown by dotted lines, and thefriction-rollers and lugs upon said spur-arms shown in section; Fig. 4,a detail, an elevation of the outer face of the cam-track disk,fragments of the spur-arms, and the cam grooves or flanges for operatingthem shown by dotted lllines, and with the lever and pawl forwithdrawing the spur-arms shown in their elevated position, Fig. 5, adetail, an elevation of the face of the wheelhub, with the spurs brokenaway, and with fragmental parts of the inner ends of the spurarms shownin their retracted positions and in l Serial No. 1E)O,S1G. (No model.)

the recesses in the face of the wheel-hub; Fig. 6, a sectional elevationin the line .e of Fig. 3, showing in detail the canrtrack disk and pawlfor controlling and operating it.

The wheel A is `iournalcd upon an axle. B, securely bolted to a sidebeam, C, ofthe frame of a road-engine, the ends oivl said beam beingbroken away, as the form of frame employed is not material to myinvention. The wheel is in this instance formed of a cast-metal rim, A',and hub Ai, united by spokes A3, arranged in two circles, dished iuopposite directions to brace each other in a wellknown manner, toprovide a light, strong, and durable wheel; but other forms of wheelsmay be employed, if preferred. The rim A of the Wheel is perforated andbossed or thickened at four points, o, equally distant from each otheraround the periphery of the wheel7 to receive and support the outer endsof the spur-arms D, and permit said arms to slide eudwise to beprojected from or drawn within the rim of the wheel, as may be desired.The spur-arms D are bent or curved to the outer side of the wheel, toallow their inner ends to be supported in sockets a, formed in the outerface of the wheel`hub, and slide freely endwise in said sockets. The hubA2 has a smaller end, n?, extended outwardly from its outer face, tosupport the hub e of a camtrack disk, E, and provide a bearing uponwhich said disk may be rotated. A capring, B', is secured upon the endof the axle B, and serves to hold the disk E and tractionwheel upon theaxle. rlhe cam-track disk E may be rotated in either direction upon thehub A2 ofthe traction-wheel, either when said wheel is at rest or whenit is in rotation, or the disk may be held stationary while thetraction-wheel is revolved in either direction by means of a hand-lever,F, and pawl G, as will hereinafter appear. The cani-track disk E isformed with involute or ecceutricallyarranged cam tracks or ribs cprojecting from itsinner face,to provide double-walled grooves orchannels between said ribs c', and the disk E is locatedwith referenceto the outer face of the wheel-hub in such manner that the lugs d andantifriction rollers d', which are secured to and project from the'innerends of the spurarms D, extend into the channels -or grooves between theribs c. The lug and friction I OO roller on each spur-arm are locatedupon opposite sides of a rib, e', and are adapted to follow said tracksor ribs when the disk is held stationary, while the wheel revolves, orwhen the disk is rotated in one direction independently of the wheel toforce the spurarms outwardly to project beyond the rim of the wheel, orwhen rotated in an opposite d'irection to draw them within said rim. Theoutward movement of thespur-arms is limited by stops e2, formed upon theouter extremities ofthe ribs e,with which stops the lugs d upon thespur-arms come in contact, and the inward movement of said spur-arms islimited by the abutment of the inner ends of said arms against thevbottom of the sockets a of the wheelhub. The stops e2 upon the extremities of the track-ribs also prevent the lug d and roller d fromleaving the rib-track upon which they move, in which event the lugswould pass on from one rib to the other independently of anduncontrolled by the cani-track plate. The frictionroller d will rollupon the outer face of the track ribs when the spur-arms are forcedoutwardly, and will roll upon the inner face of the adjacent rib whenthe spur-arms are drawn within the periphery of the drive-wheel. Vhennot otherwise acted upon, the cam-track disk E will revolve with thewheel A and hold the spurarms D in whatever position they may be placedby the hand-lever F and pawl G. The hand -lever F is journaled in agroove, e3, formed upon the hub @of the cam-track disk, and is thusfreely fulcrumed thereon. The pawl G is pivotally secured at g to thelever F, and is formed with double jaws g g, hooked in oppositedirections, to operate, respectively, the one upon the inner face of thetrack-disk and the 'other against the periphery thereof, as shown atFig. 6, and engage, respectively, with the stop e'l of the track-disk Eand notches e4, formed upon the periphery of said disk. IV hen the pawlG is not in use, it is held out of contact with the notches and stops ofthe hub-disk by means of a plate-spring, H, held upon the hand-lever Fby means of a buttplate, F, secured at f to the side of said handlever.The pawl G is pivoted to and between the plate F and lever F, and isslotted at g2, to receive the forward end of the plate-spring H, and therear end of said plate-spring is seated in a similar slot, f2, in theplate F. The spring I-I will thus permit the pawl to be moved in eitherdirection and hold it normally inoperative. The pawl G is moved ineither direction to engage one or the other of the jaws g g with thecamtrack plate by means of a double-armed thumb-lever, I, pivoted at t'between the plate F and lever F, with one of its arms, I', above and theother arm,l2,below the lever F. The plate F is thus held against theside of the lever. F by the screw j" and pivot-pins t' and g3, andserves to hold the pawl G, spring H, and thumb-lever I securely thereonin a simple and effective manner. Rods I3 I* connect, respectively, the

upper and lower arms ofthe thumb-lever with the corresponding jaws ofthe pawl G, and permit the pawl to be freely operated by the thumb-leverI at the same time that the lever F is raised and lowered. The operator,with the lever F in hishand, can move the thumblever I in an evidentmanner to engage the pawl-arm g with the stops e2, as shown at Figs. land 3, or to engage the pawlarm g with the notches e, as shown at Fig.4. Vhen the pawl G is engaged with a stop, e2, and the wheel A is movingforward in the direction shown by the arrow at Figs. l and 3, the disk Ewill be arrested and held,while the wheel revolves and carries with itthe spur-arms D, which latter will be forced outwardly by the track-ribse', acting on the rollers d', until one of the trip-lugs d strikes thearm g, as shown at Fig. 3, and trips or lifts the arm or pawl g, andreleases the disk. All of said lugs d then vpush against the stops e2,and rotate the wheel and disk together, and thus hold the end of thespur-arms D out to their full extent beyond the rim of the wheel. Whenthe pawl g is engaged with the notches e* upon the periphery of thecam-track disk E, the said disk may be rotated by the upward Inovementof the hand-lever F from the horizontal position of the lever shown inFig. 3 to or toward its vertical position shown in Fig. 4, by whichmeans the rollers d will be forced backward by the ribs e, and therebyretract the outer extremities of the spur-arms within the rim of thewheel. W'hen the engine is moved backward, the pawl-jaw g is engagedwith the notches e* to retract the spur-arms, and the pawl-jaw g ismoved forward or upward by the hand-lever to engage with one of thestops e2, and is then drawn back to revolve the hub-disk E and force thespurs outwardly. NVhen the lever F is not in use, it may rest upon labar, K, or upon any xed 'portion of the frame.

My invention may be applied to tractionwhcels of various constructions,and can be quickly and easily operated without stopping the engine,although I-p'refer stopping it to rotate the disk E in retracting thespur-arms. When the engine is driven over soft or muddy places in theroad and the wheels slip or do not properly take hold, the spur-arms canbe projected beyond the periphery of the wheel by using theleverF,ashereinbeforc described, and when the engine is moving on good roadand the spurs are no longer needed, they can be retracted, ashereinbefore described. Ihus the operator can, whenever desired,readily, easily, and quickly thrust the spurs outward from the rim ofthe wheel and retract them as readily to pass over extended or veryshort portions of muddy road alternating with dry or hard portions.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. rlhecombination, in a traction-wheel, with the peripheral rim, spokes, andhub, of radial endwise-moving spurarms supported ICO at their outer endsin the peripheral rim and at their inner ends in radial sockets upon theWheel-hub, and a cam-track disk having involute camtracks which coactwith lateral lugs projecting from the spurarms, substantially as and forthe purpose specified.

2. In a traction wheel, the combination, with the Wheel hub, spokes, andrim, of spurarms supported upon said hub and rim to move endwisetherein, provided with lugs d,project ing laterally from their innerends, a disk formed with track-ribs arranged eccentrica-Hy upon itsface, and stops e2, formed upon the outer extremities of the track-ribs,substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The combination, in a traction-Wheel, of

- thewheelhub, spokes, and rim, with spurarms supported thereon,trip-lugs d, camtrack disk E, track-ribs c, stops e2, and a paWl, G,adapted to engage with and be disengaged from the stops c?,substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The combination, in a traction-engine, of the frame and axle with atraction-Wheel, endvvisennoving spur arms, the cam -track disk engagedwith the spur-arms by means of lugs which project laterally 'from eachspurarm, and a handlever l'ulcrumed upon the axle and provided with apaivl to engage with the cam track disk, substantially as and for thepurpose described.

5. ln a traction-engine, the con'ibination, with the hub, rim, andspokes, of endwisemoving spur-arms, a disk formed with track and stopribs projecting from its face, and with notches e upon its periphery anda doublehooked pawl, G, supported upon a lever and adapted to engageeither with the notches or stop ribs, substantially as and for thepurpose described.

6. The combinatio11,with the aXle, of a camtrack disk adapted to engagewith and actuate spur -arms, provided with projections upon its face andnotches upon its periphery, a hand-lever fulcrumed upon the axis of thedisk, a double pawl, G, adapted to engage either with the saidprojections or notches upon the disk, and a spring, H, secured to thehand-lever and pawl, substantially as and for the purpose described.

7. The combination, with the ratchetnotched cam-track disk E, of thehand-lever F and pawl G, provided, respectively, with slotsf2 and g2,and platespring H,engaged and supported at its ends Within said slots,substantially as and for the purpose described.

8. In a traction Wheel, the combination, with the cam-track disk E, ofthe hand-.lever F, double pawl G, spring H, double thu1nblever I, androds Irs I, substantially as and for the purpose described.

9. The combination, with the disk E, of the hand-lever F, double pawl G,double thumblever I, spring H, and a butt-plate, F, secured upon saidhand-lever, to hold the thumblever, spring, and pawl thereon,substantially as described.

10. ln a tractioirwheel, in combination, a Wheel, a disk havingeccentric cams, with stops c2 and notched periphery, a hand-leverprovided with a double armed pawl, G, and a thumb-lever, I, connectedtherewith, for actuating` said pawl, and spur-arms provided with lugs Zand d', substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY C. REAGAN.

Witnesses:

YVILL CLARK, S. R. STocKWELL.

